ART ANTIQUES IRELAND

DRUE HEINZ COLLECTION AT CHRISTIE’S

The collection of Drue Heinz will be offered at Christie’s Impressionist and Modern evening and day sales in New York in May. Leading the collection is Amedeo Modigliani’s Lunia Czechowska (à la robe noire), 1919 ($12-18 million). Modigliani was infatuated with his subject, a young Polish émigré, who was married to a close friend of the artist’s dealer, Léopold Zborowski, and would ultimately go on to paint her likeness in ten known paintings.

Amedeo Modigliani, Lunia Czechowska (à la robe noire)

Henri Matisse painted Nu à la fenêtre ($7-10 million) – also known as Nu nacré (Pearly Nude) for the iridescent quality of its light—in his new studio during the first part of 1929 and sold the canvas to Bernheim-Jeune that September. The painting was reproduced shortly thereafter in two important monographs, one by Florent Fels and the other by Roger Fry. Pierre Bonnard’s La Terrasse ou Une terrasse à Grasse, 1912 ($6-9 million) is a pageant of high-keyed color and luxuriant, Mediterranean vegetation.

Heinz was married to H.J. (Jack) Heinz II – CEO of the H. J. Heinz Company – from 1953 until his death in 1987, and she made most of her acquisitions over the course of their three decades of marriage.

The contents of Mrs. Heinz’s London mews house and Manhattan townhouse will be offered in London on June 4. The London mews was purchased by Mr. & Mrs. Heinz in the late 1950s and is particularly special as it has at its core one of the most charming and untouched John Fowler interiors remaining, with a second phase of development and decoration in the 1980s by Renzo Mongiardino.

The top lot of the sale is from the London property, a massive George II giltwood pier mirror, circa 1750, in the manner of Vardy (£150,000 –250,000). Further highlights from London include Swimming Pool by David Hockney. Notable lots from New York include a Regency specimen marble bronzed and parcel-gilt centre table circa 1810 (£15,000-25,000) and a pair of Chinese Export black and gilt-lacquer wardrobes.

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on Saturday, March 9th, 2019 at 11:17 am and is filed under ART, AUCTIONS.
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